Exploring Life & Business with Malcolm Smith of Victory Lab Micro-Clean

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Malcolm Smith.

Hi Malcolm, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
It’s been quite a journey. My path to entrepreneurship began when I was just a kid (4 y.o). It started with an infatuation with vacuum cleaners and various cleaning machines. That passion later developed into my first business at the age of 8 y.o. I begged my mother to purchase a carpet-cleaning machine for me that Christmas. It wasn’t a practical ask for a single mother of two who, at the time, was a full-time college student and working full-time, sometimes two jobs, to support us.

But I had no idea that it was impractical or that it was unusual for a kid to want a carpet cleaner to start a business at the age of 8. She took the opportunity to make it a teachable moment and made that my first memorable lesson on faith and manifestation. To this day, I’m not sure how she pulled it off, but she got me that machine, and I was off to my first “venture”! “M.V.P. (Malcolm’s Vacuum Power) is what I called it, and I garnered a decent amount of clients. That experience sparked in me a passion for entrepreneurship that will never smolder.

Fast forward, and I graduated high school and tried college, but it wasn’t for me at that time. After having my first child, I knew that I needed to earn a better living wage than most jobs were offering, so I embarked on my second foray into entrepreneurship. I started a commercial cleaning company called “Grime Getters Clean Team” in Tulsa, OK. I developed that business to the level of what I considered a suitable income with a handful of employees and kept it going for just under six years.

After about four years, I got bored and decided to return to the local college to study computer science and fell in love with network engineering. I decided to pivot and join the corporate world for a change. I figured it would be refreshing to not have to be the chief “everything” officer for once and just do my job well for another company and simply “punch a clock”.

I did well in corporate America. I worked my way from technician to engineer at a company called Presidio Managed Solutions for a few years with support from inspiring leaders who gave me a shot. Little did I know that once you become an entrepreneur, you don’t go back!

Back in 2019, my brother’s wife was looking to get back to work after they had their first child. This meant finding the right childcare provider. Now, virtually all children get sick when they begin attending daycare. However, this was different. My nephew ended up getting sick four times over the course of about 8 weeks, and that final time resulted in him being admitted to ICU due to a severe case of hand-foot-mouth disease. This was a traumatic experience for them and the entire family. We are blessed that my nephew is a fighter and survivor who is growing strong, smart, and handsome now.

This event led my brother to approach me with a thought/proposition. He couldn’t shake the thought that if that facility had better cleaning practices, the entire experience could have been avoided. Knowing my proclivities he mentioned this to me and it got my gears going and next thing I know a vision for a cleaning company that focuses on cleaning for health was developing. Shortly after that, 2020 came, and COVID-19 came along with it. Now, the entire world has begun to view facility hygiene from a different perspective. This was validation that the model that we were developing was on the right track.

I wanted to do things differently this time around, and things started slowly. I didn’t want Victory Lab Micro-Clean to be viewed as a COVID-19 pop-up. I genuinely believe that our approach is one that will lead our industry in disrupting the way facility hygiene is delivered and perceived. Over the past couple of years, there have been many challenges, but quitting has never been an option, and Victory Lab Micro-Clean is now really starting to see the benefit of staying prepared and being consistent.

Also, my wife and I got married in 2020, and together, we have five children. Over the past couple of years, she has become a prominent figure and leader at Victory Lab Micro-Clean. We wouldn’t be where we are today without her. She is our director of community relations, but she does so much more. From facilitating interviews to organizing our food drives and keeping me in line and focused. She’s like Victory Lab’s Queen!

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
So many challenges, from finding funding to going through the growing pains of relationship differences within the business. The death of a partner. I had to pivot and refine our value proposition and target market.

There have been times when it seemed like I couldn’t pay someone to give us a chance to help them! Working a full-time corporate job while growing a viable business. The sacrifice of countless hours of time that could’ve been spent with my family. Wearing all of the hats in the business and much more.

Many days, I’ve questioned my sanity on this path to Victory.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Victory Lab Micro-Clean is a tech-enabled facility hygiene management company. We specialize in delivering cleaner, safer, immaculate environments. We focus primarily on healthcare facilities. Our differentiating factor is our web-based facility hygiene validation platform, CleanClimate™. We don’t just clean and maintain facilities.

We test and monitor surfaces, air, and other key indicators to track and communicate the level of facility cleanliness to our clients and their visitors. We are the future of “Custodial Services”. Every facility you visit tells a story silently, and we give your buildings a voice and give our clients the ability to control that narrative.

When a patient or visitor encounters a dirty bathroom, sticky floor, or offensive smell, they don’t tell an employee about it. They silently walk out of your facility and don’t return. So, medical offices, surgical centers, and other businesses partner with us to attract new customers, increase retention, and reduce risk.

Victory Lab Micro Clean offers premium cleaning, environmental monitoring, and indoor air quality control. We prioritize your health and profit by providing proven, cleaner spaces that make employees and visitors feel clean & comfortable, and happy to return.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from growing up.
I would say the feeling I had when I got my power-steamer upright deep cleaner that Christmas morning after opening all our gifts. I’d thought that I was going to have to wait.

I was already plotting to get it for my next birthday. Little did I know my mother had carefully hidden it in a slightly inconspicuous location, and after walking right by it about four times, it finally caught my eye. I pretty nearly fainted, and she caught it on camera! Absolutely one of the best.

But we also used to use her real-estate key to go look at huge luxury homes while we were living in our apartment. She would encourage me to dream. My mother came up with the most creative ways to inspire me to think beyond our surroundings.

Contact Info:

• Website: victorylabclean.com
• Instagram: @victorylabclean
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/VictoryLab-MicroClean/100094034558837/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/victory-lab-micro-clean-llc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@victorylabmicro-clean-facility

Image Credits
Kiesha Smith, Mayor Eric Johnson, Carlos White, Michael Kelly, Benjamin Van, Greer Christian, and Kevin Knight